Perception About Pushtoon's

I am writing it because of negative perception of majority of people about Pushtoon's/Pushto Speakers. I am basically a Pushto speaker living in Lahore, Punjab for last four (4) years. I will write only those which I personally feel and observe. I am giving this clarification at start as I want to avoid the biasness of the reader.

Pushtoons are knows as the most hospitable people in our country and one of the most in the world. They are considered as the most loyal and honest people in our countries. Pushtoons are actually a bit simple and less diplomatic in nature. When these Pushto speaking travel to another province especially to Punjab, what they have to face in society? No matter what kind of character you possess but if you are Pushto Speaker than you will have these habits and blah blah!!!!

Basic Perception found in Urdu/Punjabi Speakers:

Some of these perceptions are right as we are not angels that we will not make mistakes but these perceptions which make me to write this blog are wrongly propagated. Yes, I do agree that thing I am going to mention is present in our society and we are doing it but not up to the extent what other people think of it.

Homosexuality (Gay): If said to any one that I am a Pushto speaker, the first thing that will come to their mind is homosexuality. This bad habit is present in our society but not up to that extents which here people think of. There are a few localities in KPK that it is present and on alarming rate but there are also few localities in Punjab where it even more than KPK.

Weaponry/Arms:We are arms/weapons lover and almost every house must have at least one riffle but not for any other purpose than self-defense. One of my Uncle friend from Sialkot visited our village and said, I thought that there will riffles and one person carries one at least like the town of an Outlaws. The extent I was talking about that these perceptions are wrongly propagated.>

Killings and Fights:Family quarrels, dynasty and clans fighting is doing everywhere in our country but people of other provinces has specially given this prestige to our province. One of my friend said to that I heard you people start killing on minute mistakes like I heard that one man kills another just because his chicken picks in his field. I chuckle and said you may heard right but it is not only the chicken. There must be entire list of up downs in their relations which you and I may not know but what we know is not sufficient reason for killing a human.

Selling Daughters:Some of the outsiders think that Pushtoon also sells their daughter instead of marrying her with dignity. They take money of their marrying daughters. But not all Pushtoons may be a man of no ethics and dignity and having no respect for culture and religion have done that due to which all the Pushto speakers are tagged.

One of the reasons of this tag is that people from Chitral, Gilgit and Baltistan are also known as Pushto speakers and Pushtoons which they are not.

Shilajit (Masculine Power Herbs) & Weeds Availability: Most of the male here will ask this question, there Shilajit will be too low price and you must use it although half of the population hasn't seen it by themselves. But here they have in mind that everyone is using it for their masculine and muscle power as Pushtoons are very strong. Here people thought that the entire KPK is like FATA. There will be no law, riffles and weed (Charas ) everywhere. It is a myth.

One of our classmates was from Gilgit and he has also accent problem which we Pushtoons have. Teacher calls him Khan Sahib once and he replied I am not and don't call me this again. He feels insult in being called by Khan Sahib just because of negative perception of our in other provinces

There are also many more perception which are propagated negatively. In contrast, there in KPK negative perceptions are also present but not up to that extent as here in Punjab and only are in very specific areas where no one travels outside their province. The problem is that here from Punjab, the people traveled to KPK very less and they don’t know about them. But just heard about them in their childhood and still they believe that wrong stories and doesn’t bother to clarify or confirm these stories.

We should every forum, any space available to rectify these myths and must a clean image society to our youngers and that one which have negative perceptions and we are already struggling somehow. Nowadays this terrorism thing has also turn the odd against us and people thinks the entire province is like a battle field.

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My Perception

Younis Khan: Doing his Thing